My Eureka moment
While studying at the University of Bremen I lived in the attic of a beautiful townhouse, where there was a lot of music-making. One evening while in my room, I heard chamber music for a large group of string and wind instruments being rehearsed, a piece I didn’t know at all. In the break, I asked the musicians who the composer was. “Louise Farrenc” (1804-1875) was the answer. And the piece was her Nonet. The flautist of the ensemble, Freia Hoffmann, had brought back the work from Paris. The scales fell from my eyes. Up to then, the music business had systematically failed to expose me to the existence of women composers.
My commitment to the music of women composers, and to unknown composers in general – which actually means the majority of Swiss composers – was formed by this experience. To make the hidden musical treasures playable, a lot of preliminary work is needed: research, publication, distribution. These examples show the breadth of my activities.
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Music in Switzerland, instrumental music (19th-21st centuries), music and gender
EDUCATION
Grew up bilingual (German-French) in Kriens (LU) and later in Aigle (VD). Took Matura in mathematics and natural sciences. Degree in translation from the School of Translation and Interpretation (ETI) of the University of Geneva (graduated 1986). Semesters abroad at the University of Bremen (D) and at Ohio Wesleyan University (USA); attended lecture courses in History, Musicology and Psychology. Postgraduate diploma in Gender Studies (University of Lausanne, 1994). Studied Musicology at the Universities of Bremen and Bern. Doctorate in Musicology (Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 2011).
PRACTICAL MUSIC-MAKING
Practical music-making: violinist since the age of 9 (orchestra, chamber music, improvisation). Choral experience.
LANGUAGES: DE, FR, EN